These are the things about creating and working I don’t like to think about, even though I know they’re real: Horrible bosses, negative workplaces, vampire collegaues… all sort of draining the life out of hard-working, great-spirited, easnest people.

In the vast world, these are situations almost everyone has experienced.  I know I have worked for a few of the crazier and more infamous people in Hollywood and I’ve also worked for some of the more powerful and much more cool people, too.  In fact, the more powerful the boss, the cooler they’ve been, some friends I’ll always look up to as an example years later.

I even got targeted once by a wildly viscious woman (scary stuff)  who was hell-bent on destroying my life (more on that to come) so intensely that an intuitive I was speaking with asked me out of the blue: “Who is this woman who has it out for you?!”

We can’t all “up and leave” every job situation that’s negative instantly- I know I couldn’t in the past-  but you can do lots to keep yourself, your performance and your spirits high even in the least awesome of work situations until you’re ready to move on!

“ …people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers ,”  psychologist Matias Brødsgaard Grynderup said.

How true it is!

In fact, I’ve left jobs I love because of people who were too intolerable to bear.

I distinctly remember crawling on my hands and knees in a very small dress in a famous art gallery with a dustbuster, vacuuming every stray particle on a cold floor while the owner called me stupid so many times I went cold, too.

Here are some wild statistics that come from toxic workplace environments:  High blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, stroke, obesity, and insomnia are all medical conditions that can be related to or directly influenced by high stress as an environmental condition. 

Just to add for fuel to the fire…there isn’t a shortage of these office bullies. Gallup research found that 60 percent of government workers are miserable due to bad bosses and 69 percent of workers compared their boss to a toddler with too much power.

Not surprising at all, the stress caused by bad bosses does not stay contained in the work place.   Baylor University published a study in the journal, Personnel Psychology which showed that employees who felt abused at work had higher instances of familial tension at home. (more on this HERE)

You don’t want to take this stuff home with you!

While in an ideal world you’ll want to steer clear every toxic environment, in the real world, we can’t always just bail for financial, professional and even moral reasons.

Plus: that crazy person can be a gift to help you to grow.

Let’s get back to the woman who decided on a whim she’d try to destroy my career and possibly my life.  It was a non-stop barrage of scheming, hundreds of emails, sabotage on the highest levels and even very bold lies… and because of it, I started to feel very sick.  Instead of walking out- the job was too important to me- I had to throw myself into my spiritual practice like never before.  This was the first gift.  I started to take my feng shui more seriously and started a Tumblr blog because, well, I needed a peaceful outlet (never thought it would ultimately become my all of this!) and then… I purged every other toxic person from my life and moved to a new home that was life-changing because I couldn’t go from stress to stress, day and night.

Basically, she was an evil gift!

So, if you’re in a bad situation, one first thought is: how can you grow? If there’s a way to use this challenge to focus more on your work, indulge in your passions, put your attention on the things that life you up and learn to let go of stress in the rest of your life, for the time you’re sitting where you are in a not-great situation, that could be your incredible gift.

Practical ways to deal with crazy work situations so that you stay grounded include: intensely focusing on your job performance, documenting all your commuincations well, undestanding the triggers that set off anger or histility in your workplace and, of course, looking for a new job after hours if this one has no expansion or growth in its future!

A few more feng shui ways to keep your spirits higher:

• Fully declutter your workspace.  The less you have piled around you, in drawers and in baskets the more your personal energy field will be unimpeded.
• Use sensory relatation techniques. Essential oils, music in headphones, meditation breaks… explore holistic ways to keep your stress levels lower.
• Do the 5-minute energy routine (right HERE)  throughout the day so that your energy stays strong.
• Walk as much as you can so you don’t get stagnant. 
• And when you leave work, dive into self-care.  As much as you can, tap in (exercise, socializing, great food, art)  instead of checking out (sugar, drinking, drugs, toxic relationships) and you’ll be more full, less depleted and more able to attract more wellness and greatness into your life!

These are all simple suggestions, nothing too fancy.

They work.

They’ve worked for clients, friends and for me for the many years I was trying to find my place in the world amidst far too many narcissists and psychopaths (!)… and I thank every one of those imbalanced people for helping me to become more of who I am.  I bet you’ll do the same!

xoxo Dana

P.S.: The Cash Camp is coming this Spring!

And, the FREE 3-video intro series full of wealth-building feng shui in amazing ways is coming soon!

It’s nearly an hour of exercises to clear the three biggest money blocks from your home.

!!!

You can sign to the free video series right HERE!

It’s some of my favorite wealth feng shui (!) so I can’t wait to share these with you!!!

xoxo!!!

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And, if you want to dive in to your own personalized feng shui in a modern, practical way, Say hello to Feng Shui 101.  Its the guide I made for you to create your own personalized feng shui at home, in the office, wherever you may be… in 8 weeks.  It’s not filled with strict rules or what you “must” do.  Its filled with information, questions, exercises and even videos and classes to help you confidently create amazing spaces with killer feng shui and live with more flow.   Learn more about the 8-week feng shui adventure & grab your copy to get started right HERE…  And, as always, please let me know what happens!